Articles by Date : December 01 2002 - December 31 2002

Disabled children feel discouraged
One-quarter of disabled children are discriminated against and struggle to get the same opportunities as their non-disabled counterparts in.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Virtual cases makes practice perfect
Social work students undergoing training though the Open University will undertake their practice placement from the comfort of their own home. more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Call to extend anti-bullying tactics
Anti-bullying strategies that work in schools should be adopted in children's homes, where violence and bullying is regarded by many staff as a.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Housing providers failing contracts
Housing providers in Nottingham are failing their government contracts to place asylum seekers in suitable accommodation, a new report has revealed. more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Hull outshone by its own two-star team
One council with a two-star social services department has been rated "poor" in the first comprehensive performance assessment results published this.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Care homes fire off ultimatum to Blair
A group of private care home associations with more than 70,000 beds in northern England and the Midlands is threatening action over fees. more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Social services fear new finance deal will leave them out of pocket
Many social services departments face shortages of millions of pounds thanks to the local government finance settlement announced last week. more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

The onus is on adults
The Stop It Now! campaign and helpline provides a route for potential child abusers to seek help before they offend. Terry Philpot reports. more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Unlocking the good
A series of projects in Sunderland shows that young offenders can make amends while changing their lifestyle and gaining valuable skills. In the.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

All-round friends
In other parts of Europe looked-after children benefit from workers who are trained in social pedagogy, which embraces a range of skills not normally.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Half way there
It is mistaken to think that intermediate care has to mean a care home, says housing association chief John Gatward, who argues that very sheltered.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Picking up the pieces
Alcohol and drug use by parents is causing harm to children on an alarming scale and gaps in policy and practice are hindering the response of.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Famous and eligible
Gary Vaux answers benefits queries from a varied group of vaguely familiar people. more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Research into practice
How aware are councils of the contribution of black women's groups in the voluntary sector? Gaynor Wingham reports on a recent study. more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Dividends in training
Extra cash for vulnerable groups is always welcome. So the announcement that £84m a year for the next three years is to be spent on supporting.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Care package chaos
More revelations of the often chaotic state of services for older people have emerged as legislation to impose fines on local authorities deemed.... more
(12 December 2002 00:00)

Poverty levels fall – but not far enough
There are one million fewer people living in poverty than there were in 1997, according to figures released by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation today. more
(12 December 2002 12:06)

NEW TAX CREDITS – MAKE SURE EVERYONE CLAIMS THE MONEY THEY ARE ENTITLED TO!
If you are expecting a baby, whether it is your first child or whether you already have another child, make sure you know how much you are.... more
(12 December 2002 11:52)

Parental addictions linked to abuse
Four out of every 10 children on the child protection register and 62 per cent of those subject to care proceedings, have parents who are involved in.... more
(06 December 2002 00:00)

Misleading Comprehensive Performance Assessment ratings
One council with a two-star social services department has been rated as “poor”, in the first-ever comprehensive performance assessment results.... more
(11 December 2002 15:04)

GPs forced to admit older people to hospital
General practitioners are being forced to admit vulnerable older people to hospital in order to secure them a suitable care package, it has been.... more
(11 December 2002 14:48)

UK employers discriminate against disabled workers
Disabled workers are still being discriminated against by UK employers despite legislation to prevent this, according to a new report from the Trade.... more
(11 December 2002 14:55)

Councils face shortages in budgets
A number of social services departments across the country face shortages of millions of pounds in their budgets as a result of the new local.... more
(11 December 2002 15:07)

Scottish committee warns of funding needs
A Parliamentary committee has given its full support to the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill but has warned the Scottish Executive to make sure there.... more
(11 December 2002 15:15)

Disabled children struggle for opportunities in mainstream school
One quarter of disabled children are discriminated against and struggle to get the same opportunities as their non-disabled counterparts in.... more
(11 December 2002 15:13)

Care homes threaten action over fees
A group of private care home associations representing more than 70,000 beds in the north of England and the Midlands has warned the Prime Minister.... more
(11 December 2002 14:52)

New grant to educate vulnerable young people
Local educational authorities are to receive extra government money to tackle the educational achievement of children in care, as part of a.... more
(10 December 2002 13:42)

Charities accuse statutory agencies of failing child prostitutes
Sexually exploited children and young people are not receiving enough support from statutory agencies because they are failing to identify them,.... more
(10 December 2002 11:03)

Chief prison inspector calls for improvements to services for young adults
The proper support and resourcing of services for young people in the prison system is one of the most urgent tasks facing government and the prison.... more
(10 December 2002 16:11)

Wednesday 11 December 2002
Britain considers the benefits of allowing immigrants to work and, in Scotland, restorative justice methods prove their worth. more
(11 December 2002 10:13)

Tuesday 10 December 2002
As a report into investigation of the murder of Damilola Taylor criticises mistakes by the police, the prison population looks set to soar to 100,000.... more
(10 December 2002 09:59)

Friday 6 December 2002
Poor areas to benefit from £40bn funding rise more
(06 December 2002 10:25)

Monday 9 December 2002
Thousands of homeless people are denied a GP while Tony Blair is to announce money to help sufferers of domestic violence. more
(09 December 2002 10:46)

Debate on false allegations of abuse
We asked if there are enough safeguards to ensure false allegations of abuse are not made. more
(05 December 2002 19:40)

Charity care home closure approved by Lords
The Leonard Cheshire Foundation’s plans to close its largest care home do not contravene the Human Rights Act, the House of Lords has ruled. more
(06 December 2002 00:00)

Services for young offenders too slow and inconsistent
Scotland’s first comprehensive study of all services to young offenders has been published. The report by Audit Scotland has found that the system.... more
(05 December 2002 19:01)

Special report on the effects of poor housing on child poverty
A government move to restrict the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless families coincides with the release of important new figures on.... more
(05 December 2002 18:37)

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(05 December 2002 15:22)

Only long-term work will succeed
Crispin Truman describes how work with offenders who have mental health problems could be improved. more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

Protection on the agenda
When a teacher told the MP Ann Cryer that some of his Muslim students who attended a religious school each evening had alleged they were being.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

Change of a lifetime
  The Community Care Changing Minds campaign was launched last August against a backdrop of some.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

Time to take a stand
The government has announced a review of residential treatment for sex offenders. But will it have the courage to put together a strategy that can.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

Can mainstream schools cope with children who have special needs?
Sally Gillen reports on the Audit Commission's claim that children with special educational needs and disabilities are being let down by school.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

Directors greet new council autonomy
The Association of Directors of Social Services has given a cautious welcome to the freedoms and flexibilities for local government announced.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

'Fear' driving leap in detention numbers
The sharp rise in the number of people being detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 shows services are "driven by fear", mental health groups.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

'Jail conditions for young must change'
The Social Services Inspectorate has pledged to improve the conditions of young people in the criminal justice system. SSI chief inspector,.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

Scots bill 'excludes children's needs'
Charities have hit out at the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill accusing it of failing to address the needs of children. Eddie Follan, policy.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

Wrong remedy?
Will the government's plans for cross-charging alleviate the problem of delayed hospital discharges? Many social services and healthstaff doubt that.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

Book reviews
Rachel Wooller looks at how people with dementia can contribute to research while Karin Crawford explores risk more
(05 December 2002 00:00)

Dishing up know-how
Statistics suggest that one in 10 people who buy a computer never get beyond unpacking it, so bamboozled are they by the mechanics of setting it.... more
(05 December 2002 00:00)